First timer with Pharoah Quail question on water?

chickenfried

In the Brooder
9 Years
Apr 3, 2010
39
0
32
Chanute
I have been putting a little vinegar in my water for the chicks do you do the same with quail?
What do you use for a waterier when they first hatch mine have just started hatching and don't want them to drown, I don't know if there like chicks this way or not. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and God Bless
 
I personally have never used vinegar in my water for my quail chicks. Do not feed them MEDICATED chick starter and you should be fine for the pasty butts. Try and find them Gamebird chick starter, that is the best, but I have raised quail chicks on unmedicated chick starter before. Took them a little longer but they turned out just fine.
As for the waterer.... I use a regular mason jar waterer that has glass pebbles filling the bottom. Just enough room to get their little beaks between the pebbles but not enough room for them to drown. They also have the bottoms for the mason jar waterers that only have about a quarter of an inch lip around the basin made specifically for quail chicks. You could try to find these as well. They work GREAT!!
I am sure that you know that you have to dip their beaks in the water to show them were it is at but, I have found also that the chicks will peck at the shiny glass pebbles and get some water that way.
Just a bit of unsolicited advice for you...... put the waterer at the farthest point AWAY from your heat source. Do not put the water directly under the lamp!!!! If the babies get to hot they will lay in the water and get chilled and die. Quail babies are a natural at finding ways to kill themselves so if you ask yourself did I put enough marbles in the water? put more in!!! Is it far enough away from the heat? move it a few more inches!!! I have had a quail baby get really soaking wet before (how I don't know!!) and find the coldest corner of the brooder to stand in and scream. They really are not the sharpest pencil in the box but they sure are addicting.
Good luck with your hatch and if you have more questions just ask.
 
Don't put the water need the heat source. It would evaporate quickly due to the heat. For the first day, I let them taste water for the first time with a syringe. After that, I fill some lids (from jars, bottles, etc) with water. At day two, I introduce the hamster water bottle sold at petstore (I got mine at Walmart [cheap, but works great!]). At day 3-4, they only drink from the water bottle. Once one of them figure out that water comes out of the nibbler of the water bottle, others will catch on fast.
 
You have already gotten great advice so I have little to offer.

I have heard great things vinger so I would say go ahead with just a small amount but I have never used it myself.
 
I'm a first timer, so take it for what it's worth. I use the little red dish that is threaded for a quart jar. No marbles or anything else. I dunked each beak in the water when first removed from the bator and put in the brooder and they have been drinking ever since--a lot! This morning (the 1 week mark for most of them) I put in a gallon waterer and they took right to it. No drownings.

This weekend, I am going to introduce them to the nipples in order to get them ready for the pens.

UGCM
 
Last edited:
I've used lids (butter dish type lids), a quail waterer (from TSC) and a water bottle on quail chicks. The quail waterer is the best for starting them, then switch them to the bottle as soon as you can. Some have said that they start them out straight on the bottle, but I prefer to use a dish first, then switch them.
As for the vinegar, first, make sure that it is true apple cider vinegar, and not apple flavored vinegar. You can use it on quail chicks as well, though I never have.

ETA: The quail waterer bases do not need any marbles or anything else in them. I've raised many button quails without marbles in it and have never lost one due to chilling or drowning.
 
Last edited:
Quote:
NO PROB! WELCOME TO QUAIL ADDICTS OF THE WORLD
smile.png
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom